Hydrangeas are a great addition to the garden. They bring a lush fullness with rich, dense foliage and beautiful blooms that can last from summer through fall. They are easy to grow and can produce a multitude of colors, ranging from crisp blue to icy white, vibrant pink and lavender—depending on your soil pH.
To get the most out of your hydrangeas, they’ll need nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. Choose a spot that gets full sun in the mornings and some afternoon shade. Many hydrangeas will still bloom in partial shade, but need some sun if you want the big, showy blooms they are known for.
There are many different varieties of this classic flowering shrub that can be grouped into three main categories: old-fashioned bigleaf, oakleaf and peegee.
There are so many lovely hydrangea varieties on the market, it’s hard to choose which should make its home in your garden. But you simply can’t go wrong by adding any of them.
Bigleaf is the most popular by far. These include the classic mophead with large round blooms, as well as lacecaps with gorgeous clusters of lacy flowers. They can produce beautiful shades of blue and pink, and do best in zones 5 through 9. They bloom on old wood, so do not over prune them. Control the color of these bold blooms by adjusting the pH of your soil.
Oakleaf hydrangea is known for its long-lasting flower power and gorgeous oak leaf-shaped foliage that changes to shades of purple, orange and bronze in the fall. White flowers emerge on these shrubs in clusters in the summer, and fade to a lovely pinkish-brown toward the end of fall. They are hardy to zones 5 through 9, and can reach heights and widths of up to 6 feet. Very little pruning is needed since growth emerges on old wood.
The peegee hydrangea thrives in zones 3 through 8, and is sometimes referred to as a ‘hydrangea tree’ because of its massive height and ability to be pruned into a single trunk shape. These shrubs can reach up to 25 feet. Large white panicles containing tons of white sepals emerge in midsummer and fade to pink in the fall. Blooms emerge on new wood.
P. Allen Smith, host of two public television programs, is an award-winning designer and gardening expert. He is the author of several books, including his Seasonal Recipes from the Garden.
Photos by jane colclasure, mark fonville & hortus ltd.